PRO FOOTBALL.

Bears Hope For Sizzling Production With `New Faces Of '99'

Having drafted 13 new players last weekend, the Bears are banking on the prophecies of team marketing director Ken Valdiserri, who borrowed a local marketing theme and deadpanned, "The kids can play."

The Bears begin Friday to find out just how well they can play with the first postdraft mini-camp. There won't be any pads, but there will be a lot of helmets with players' names written on a strip of tape on the front to help coaches with IDs.

The focus, though, will be on one rookie, quarterback Cade McNown, as coaches find out what exactly the 12th overall pick will bring to the Bears.

If he brings nothing else, McNown, by his mere presence, signals the start of a nearly annual rite: a quarterback controversy.

The Erik Kramer-or-McNown debate already has begun: McNown right now? McNown eventually? To the coaches--and doubtless to Kramer and others who believe jobs must be earned--there is no debate.

"Erik's the starter and Cade'll have his role," coach Dick Jauron said. "How fast it comes will just be determined by how well he plays."

Jauron was on record before the draft with his belief that none of the top quarterbacks was ready to start right out of college. Indeed, the idea of quarterbacks as instant starters is new, since the position traditionally was one that was best staffed by someone who had served an apprenticeship. Since McNown likely will have a six-year contract, the Bears see no reason to rush.

"It'll be just like any other position," Jauron said. "If he wins the job, he'll get the job. If we think he's ready to play, if he outperforms (Kramer), he'll get the job."

But Chicago has become, if not the cradle of NFL quarterback controversy, certainly a nursery. Through the last decade there have been more years with a quarterback debate than without one, continuing the Chicago tradition of Billy Wade-or-Rudy Bukich and Bob Avellini-or-Vince Evans, with the odd Bobby Douglass and Virgil Carter thrown in.

The recent controversies have centered on Jim Harbaugh, then Kramer. In 1989-90, it was Harbaugh or Mike Tomczak. Winner: Harbaugh.

In the disaster of 1992, P.T. Willis was the Harbaugh alternative, at least in some fans' minds and in then-coach Mike Ditka's for two starts.

When Dave Wannstedt arrived in 1993, Harbaugh was the undisputed starter, but not for long. A quarterback controversy flared within the coaching staff and Harbaugh, it was decided, would lose his job to a free agent to be named later.

That turned out to be Kramer in 1994, who promptly struggled his way into a controversy with Steve Walsh. In 1995 Kramer briefly ended quarterback debates with an outstanding season.

That lasted only until he injured his neck, sending the team off for Rick Mirer and the debacle of 1997, worsened by being without injured wide receiver Curtis Conway much of the season.

Two years later Kramer faces a new challenger but the first who is a rookie. That changes the starter debate as far as the franchise is concerned.

"I'd like to have a club where you drafted guys and could ease them in," personnel chief Mark Hatley said. "You'd like for a young player not to have to step in on Day One and play."

McNown, the eighth quarterback ever drafted in a first round by the Bears, will wear uniform No. 8, the same number as friend, former UCLA and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and quarterback role models Mark Brunell and Steve Young.

The last Bear to wear that digit was kicker Carlos Huerta. The last quarterback was Spare Bear Mike Hohensee in 1987.

Nowhere at the weekend's mini-camp will there be more of a crowd than at quarterback, with five in red jerseys: Kramer, Shane Matthews, McNown, Jim Miller and Moses Moreno.

The Bears had considered Todd Marinovich, but after drafting McNown, "we're through there," Hatley said. "We're going to stay where we are."